The NBA newsletter business behind the scenes: 'It's more work'

On the surface, there are benefits to running subscribe to the newsletter, such as becoming your own boss.

Mayo told HoopsHype: "What keeps me awake in this journey of modern journalism, content creation and entrepreneurship is that I am in control." "It is refreshing to distribute my newsletter anytime, anywhere, no matter what I want. What, and no superiors told me "no." I believe that if handled properly, it can give reporters and consumers a more authentic experience."

"The emergence of Substack has allowed some great writers to raise topics that would otherwise be overlooked in the prestigious media," Strauss explained.

For example, Strauss has written about the relationship between the NBA and China, Klutch Sports and Rachel Nichols.

Not only does the newsletter open the door to neglected topics, but hidden markets can also get more attention.

"The basic service (of the Pacers) fans is insufficient, there is only one full-time reporter, and it is in the local newspaper," Agnes said."Even the team no longer hires full-time writers. So there is a group of fans who are eager for the Pacers news and features, and I like to provide them."

However, there are disadvantages, such as no editors to review your grammar and typos, discuss story ideas, or provide help at the back end of the publication. Compared with traditional media work, more freedom comes with more responsibility to take care of details.

"This is different and exciting, but it also requires more work," Abbott told HoopsHype."I am more than just a writer. I am reporting, editing and promoting my story. Apart from building an audience, the most difficult thing is not being able to access the main image network."

The main image networks referred to by Abbott include Getty Images, AP Images, USA TODAY Network, etc. As a newsletter provider, you usually have to take photos and videos of yourself on the topics involved.

At this point, you are more than just a writer. You are an editor and a businessman, and you have to evaluate all content, from the frequency of publishing, whether the content is charged, reasonable prices, and so on.

Another caveat for running a subscription newsletter is to obtain media credentials to access players and staff.

Some newsletter authors have multiple jobs, and if they work for a reputable media, use their other affiliates to enter the arena. Other teams with fewer members of the media are more open to subscribing to newsletter reports. In the final analysis, it comes down to familiarity. If you have been around the block and get verified products, you will benefit from suspicion. A novice writer who started writing newsletters? Not that much.

"People like Stein should put a rubber stamp on the certification process," Strauss said."A person like me? Who knows."

Being an almighty correspondent can also cause anxiety and exhaustion due to additional responsibilities.

"The hardest part is being tired almost all the time," Macri explained."Complete the newsletter at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. on game nights. It’s not uncommon, and the 6:25 a.m. alarm clock on those days is not as interesting as usual."

"The sense of responsibility that comes from clicking the "send to everyone" button on a Substack post is something I'm still used to," Stein said."A few times I spent an extra hour posting the story to my substack because I couldn't help myself to check, check and recheck it."

Finally, even if a story is great, not many people are likely to read it due to the paywall.

"Knowing that I spent a day, sometimes weeks, on a unique story, and only my subscribers can see it, it's difficult," Agness said."But those are valuable works that fans should want to read. Waiting for this hard work to pay off will also pay."